Generally, a method of removing snow deposited on a road in winter season includes a method in which calcium chloride, a chloride solution or the like is loaded in a cargo box of a vehicle and then sprayed using a sprayer while the vehicle travels along the road, a method in which a snowplow is installed at a front side of a vehicle and pushes the snow deposited on the road out of the road while the vehicle travels along the road, a method in which a relatively large amount of snow is forcibly suctioned using a snow blower (a blower-type snow removing machine) and then thrown to a side of the road, a method in which the snow on the road is melted by hot wind blowing from the vehicle and so on.
Among the methods, the method in which the calcium chloride or the chloride solution is sprayed has a problem that it takes a long time to have a chemical action with the snow, and the method in which the deposited snow is pushed out of the road or the method using the snow blower is just moving of a deposition location of the snow by scattering the snow to an adjacent area and corresponds to a snow removing purpose for emergency traffic but has a problem that the deposited snow is not completely removed, and the method in which the snow on the road is melted by the hot wind may have an excellent melting effect when a small amount of snow is deposited but has a problem that the melting effect due to the hot wind is degraded when a large amount of snow is deposited or frozen.
As an example of a conventional snow removing apparatus to solve the problems, there is an “apparatus for removing snow through liquefaction” disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0108297.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an apparatus for removing snow through liquefaction according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus for removing snow through liquefaction according to the prior art includes a snow removing chamber 1 having a snow introduction port 1a through which external deposited snow is introduced and a drain hole 1b, an immersion part 2 which stores the snow introduced into the snow removing chamber 1 and stores water liquefied in the snow removing chamber 1, a hot wire 3 which heats the snow and water stored in the immersion part 2, a snow suction means 4 including a suction part 4a which forcibly suctions and supplies the external snow to the snow introduction port 1a and a stirring part 4b which forcibly crushes and stirs the snow deposited on the road to supply the snow to the suction part 4a, and a hot air means 5 which supplies hot air into an inner space of the snow removing chamber 1 and liquefies the snow.
Also, the suction part 4a includes a suction duct 4a-1 which is in communication with the snow introduction port 1a of the snow removing chamber 1, an impeller 4a-2 which forcibly suctions the external snow into the suction duct 4a-1 and a driving motor 4a-3 which drives the impeller 4a-2.
In the apparatus for removing snow through liquefaction according to the prior art as described above, when the stirring part is axially rotated while being located adjacent to the ground at a predetermined distance, the deposited snow is crushed and scattered toward the impeller 4a-2. At this point, the impeller 4a-2 forcibly suctions and supplies the snow into the suction duct 4a-1.
The snow passed through the suction duct 4a-1 is injected into the snow removing chamber 1 through the snow introduction port 1a. The snow injected into the snow removing chamber 1 is melted and dropped by the hot air discharged from the hot air means 5.
Water drops dropped by the hot air is collected in the immersion part 2, and the water overflowing the immersion part 2 is discharged to an outside through the drain hole 1b and melts the snow remaining at a rear of the snow removing chamber 1.
Also, the snow in the snow removing chamber 1 which is not still melted by the hot air is dropped into the immersion part 2 and then melted by contact with a water surface in the immersion part 2. At this point, the hot wire 3 may be heated and thus may increase metability of the snow by heating the water in the immersion part 2.
However, in the apparatus for removing snow through liquefaction according to the prior art, there is a problem that the snow is dropped into the snow removing chamber 1 and liquefied by the hot wire 3 in the immersion part 2, and a high calorific value is required to liquefy the snow and thus a lot of energy is consumed by driving the hot air means 5.
That is, it takes a considerably time to melt the snow introduced into the snow removing chamber 1, and the high calorific value is also consumed by heating a large amount of melted water stored in the immersion part 2, and thus there is a problem that there is a limit to a heating temperature of the melted water and the metability is degraded due to a low temperature of the melted water.